Citing media reports that a man from Maharashtra was the mastermind behind the killings of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar and others, AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday asked if Prime Minister Narendra Modi would “walk back” from his recent speech at Wardha.

“@PMOINDIA are you willing to walk back from your speech in Wardha? Or is that you will ask MURLI to contest in Maharashtra Assembly elections,” Owaisi tweeted.

He was referring to media reports of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) charge that M D Murli, a right wing activist, was the mastermind behind the killings of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, social activist Govind Pansare and others.

Asked about the Election Commission giving a clean chit to Modi on the Wardha speech, Owaisi had said on May 1 that he was concerned more about what Modi talked about terrorism.

Modi had on May 1 launched a broadside against the Congress, accusing it of branding “peace-loving Hindus” as terrorists and insulting those who follow the religion.

“That one religion cannot indulge in terrorism. He was basically hinting that only this religion never indulged in it and other religions indulged. That should have been taken note of,” Owaisi had said, adding that it was a deliberate attempt to create polarisation.